Duplex cigar box



ma ma March 10, 1936. D. H. WOODBERY DUPLEX CIGAR BOX Filed Sept. 28, 1955 Patented Mar. 10, 1936 UNlTED STATES ATENT OFFIQE- DUPLEX CIGAR BOX Application September 28, 1935, Serial No. 42,695.

2 Claims.

This invention relates. to special receptacles and particularly to a duplex cigar box.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a cigar box constituted by duplex trays and a. lid serially hinged, the trays being adapted to contain different types or brands of cigars which may be simultaneously displayed when the-duplex box is extended, the lid being common to the two trays when the box is folded together.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a cigar box which when initially opened exposes only a part of the contents, the remainder of the contents remaining sealed from air and light until a second opening operation of the receptacle has been performed, generally after the cigars first exposed have become depleted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a duplex cigar box consisting of a main tray, the lid member of which is itself an auxiliary tray with a lid, and at least one layer shallower than the main tray so that the auxiliary tray may remain sealed while the contents of the main tray are being depleted and when an entire layer of cigars has been removed from the main tray the auxiliary tray can then be opened and the cigars then transferred to the main tray, the lid of the auxiliary box being then adapted to be supported at various angles upon the main tray, the outer surface of said lid acting as a display surface.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a box structure in which the main. tray has a hinged lid, the lid itself comprising an auxiliary tray with a flat lid hinged on the opposite edge from that which connects the auxiliary tray with said main tray, the main and auxiliary trays being latched together at their free edges with the flat lid under-folded between the two trays acting as a gasket, being clamped between them on the one side by the hinges which connects the two boxes, and on the other side by the latch.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description of a preferred and practical embodiment of the same proceeds.

In the drawing which forms a part of this specification and throughout the several figures of which the same characters of reference designate identical parts:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the serially hinged elements in extended position;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the duplex box showing the auxiliary tray closed and acting as a lid for the main tray;

Figure 3 isan end view showing the duplex .box entirely closed;

Figure 4 is a perspective. view illustrating the use of the fiat lidv as a display surface; and.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the hingepor tion indicating its function as a clamping instruementality.

Referring now in detailto thesseveral figures the numeral l represents the main tray which has an auxiliary tray 2 hinged thereto by means of the hinges 3. The main tray and the auxiliary tray have the general shape and size of ordinary cigar boxes, it being preferred that the auxiliary tray shall bear an aliquot layer ratio to the main tray, that is to say, the auxiliary tray may preferably be made one layer, for example, shallower than the main tray.

A fiat lid 4 is hingedly attached to the edge of the auxiliary tray which is opposite the hinges 3, the connection between the flat lid 4 and the auxiliary tray 2 being preferably ordinary tape 5.

The main and auxiliary trays l and 2 are preferably secured together at their free edges by latch elements comprising a pin 6 and hinged keeper 1.

The hinges 3 preferably up-stand beyond the edge of the main tray to which they are attached by a distance just slightly less than thickness of the fiat lid. 4, and the latch elements 6 and 1 preferably go together with a slight clamping action. When the duplex box is in folded or fully closed position as shown in Figure 3, the fiat lid 4 is under-folded so as to be interleaved between the main and auxiliary trays I and 2, and forms a common lid or gasket between them, being clamped on the one hand by the hinges 3 and on the other hand by the latch elements 6 and l.

The lid 4 may have an ordinary brad 8 securing the same in closed relation to the auxiliary tray 2, so that when the duplex box is initially opened by separating the latch elements 6 and I, the auxiliary tray will still be sealed, this being the relation of parts illustrated in Figure 2. Cigars may then be sold from the main tray I.

In the meant1me, the cigars in the auxiliary tray 2 are kept sealed from light and air. When complete layer of cigars has been removed from the main tray I, the brad 8 may be removed,

and the contents of the auxiliary tray may be transferred to the main tray filling the latter. When the parts were in the position shown in Figure 2, the outer face of the fiat lid 4 was available as a display surface. When the cigars have been removed from the auxiliary tray 2,

the flat lid 4 is still useful as a display surface as shown in Figure 4, the auxiliary tray 2 now empty, serving as an easel back to support the fiat lid 4 which slidably tracks upon the end edges 9 of the main tray so that it may be selectively inclined at any desirable angle. Incidentally, the free edge H] of the auxiliary lid 4 extends as a barrier across the cigars in the main tray, permitting the lower portions of said cigars to be displayed, but interposing an impediment to their surreptitious removal.

While the above use of the invention applies more directly to cigars of the same kind, the invention lends itself admirably to the display of cigars of different kinds so that two kinds may be packed in a duplex box; one kind in one tray and one in the other so that by opening both trays and extending them as illustrated in I, both kinds of cigars may be simultaneously displayed and the inner side of the auxiliary lid 4 serve as a surface for carrying advertising. By this expedient a dealer is enabled to carry a smaller stock and yet make an adequate display.

While I have in the above invention described what I believe to be a preferred and practical embodiment of the same, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the details of construction as shown and described are merely by way of example and not to be construed as limiting the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Duplex cigar box comprising a main tray and an auxiliary tray, hinges connecting adjacent edges of said trays at one side, said auxiliary tray having a flat lid hingedly connected to its opposite edge, said auxiliary tray when closed. comprising the lid of the main tray, the hinges connecting said trays upstanding a distance slightly less than the thickness of said flat lid, said main and auxiliary trays having cooperable latch elements on the side opposite said hinges, so that said flat lid forms a gasket between said. trays clamped between them by the hinges on the one hand and the latch elements on the other, when said duplex box is in fully closed position.

2. Duplex cigar box comprising two trays hinged together at one side with their open faces confronting one another and their edges congruent, and a fiat lid hinged to one tray on the side opposite the hinged-together sides of said trays, extending on all sides between the congruent edges of said trays, acting as a gasket to seal the joint between said edges.

DANIEL HOYT WOODBERY. 

